A two-story brick-and-wood school was built on this site in 1873, approximately 100 feet east of the present location, and offered 10 grades, a major step toward higher education in the Bath area. In November 1922, local electors voted to consolidate the school system into a centralized 12-grade school. On May 18, 1927, the community suffered disaster when Andrew P. Kehoe demolished the school with dynamite, killing 45 and injuring 58 children and adults. Afterward, Warren Holmes, a Lansing architect, donated plans for a new school, and Hon. James Couzens, United States Senator, donated $75,000. The rebuilt school, named the James Couzens Agricultural School, opened in 1928 with added curricula. In 1975, by decision of the School Board, the building was approved for demolition, ending the life of a school that had stood for many years as a symbol of higher education in the community.